Promises
by Defiled Ladel
Summary: Making promises and keeping them are 2 very different things.
1. Chapter 1

**A.N: Hi again, here is another idea that has been running through my head for a couple days. **

**It won't take away time from my other work.**

**If the idea appeals to you than let me know.**

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He could sense a presence. He didn't know what it was but he knew the feeling when there was something following you. He had felt it a couple of days ago when he reentered Vale. And since then it would back off and then creep closer but never close enough for him to get a glimpse of his pursuer. It wasn't the being followed that put him on edge, it was the knowledge that he knew who it was that made him uneasy. And if they had sent her to find him than he knew he wouldn't be able to slip away unnoticed.

The forests became a place of quiet reflection during his time in Vale. Ever since stepping foot back in his home country all he wanted to do was wander the forests like he used to as a boy and young teenager. He had missed the way a gentle breeze felt against his skin and the rustle of leaves underfoot. It wasn't to say that there wasn't any forests where he had been, but the breeze didn't sound the same, the leaves crunched louder than the ones at home and the wind didn't caress his skin it just hit him with little care. He had missed this environment.

He never really left. He did leave, but it wasn't a spur in the moment decision at the time. Before he left Beacon he was asked if he was interested in working for Professor Ozpin. The job was to be a long distance hunter in areas of the world that had little to no contact with the capital cities and towns in their country of residence. At the time it wasn't something that had appealed to him. He still hadn't graduated Beacon yet and had started to consider where he would go to afterwards. Ozpin had understood and mentioned that the position would be open if he wanted it. It wasn't until that day in his final year that cemented his decision.

Ozpin knew his reasons for leaving and assured him that the only person who knew his location would be himself. And so he left, when everybody was sleeping he packed his gear and left the halls of Beacon for a life of solitude. It was what he needed. And so for the next decade he traveled the mountains in the west and north to help push back Grimm from villages, even helping in the defense of Mistral during the Grimm insurgency that ravaged the region for 3 years. And that was his job, eradicate Grimm from towns and villages on the fringes of the map. It wasn't until a month ago that he got a message from Ozpin telling him to start making his way back to Beacon. He was told he was being reassigned, and a replacement was already making his way to his last location.

And now he was being followed deep in the forests of Vale by somebody who he really didn't want to see, let alone talk to. He was making his way through the thick underbrush when he heard the sound of a twig snapping and a hushed curse. He smiled to himself and continued his way toward the river a few miles ahead. He heard the gentle flow of water in front of him and was greeted with a small flowing river with a bridge a few hundred meters to his right. He waited for a few minutes before the tell tale signs of rustling bushes got his attention again. He smiled again and wondered whether she had gotten sloppy thinking he couldn't hear her.

"You can come out of the bush Blake." He broke into a laugh at the face of the golden eyed girl with twigs in her hair.

Blake had changed over the years. It wasn't a surprise really, he had been gone for a decade, everybody had probably changed and he didn't know. The last memories he had of the people he left behind were when they had barely turned twenty. Now standing next to his sitting form was the new Blake. Her dark locks cascaded down her back and he noticed her cat ears on proud display for everybody to see. He could see the tell tale signs of roughing it in the woods. Her clothes rumpled and stained with dirt and grass clung to her like a second skin which made him wonder whether she dressed like that normally or just for mission.

"You heard me in the forest didn't you?" It wasn't a question, more like a statement. She looked upset at the fact she had been caught.

He ignored her question and asked one of his own "How did you find me?"

She balked at his tone. He wasn't shouting at her but she knew he was angry. He had every right to be.

"Couple of weeks ago Ruby heard rumors of Ozpin recalling a long distance hunter and replacing them. It wasn't until she overheard him mention something called 'Arc Knight' that we started putting the pieces together." Blake paused "We thought you were dead Jaune. You just disappeared one night and never came back. I understand why you left but you could have told somebody."

She could see that him tense when she finished her sentence. She hated remembering that day. The day when everything fell apart for him. And she knew she and the rest of her team were guilty of keeping him out of the loop for nearly 2 years.

Jaune thought about what he would say next. Years ago he would have blown up in her face and yelled, now after so long he just can't find the energy to be angry.

"Tell them what Blake? Sorry guys but I'm leaving because you all chose to keep something important from me." Jaune barked a mirthless laugh "Why should I have told any of you I was leaving? For 2 years she was lying to my face and you all knew and instead of telling me you let me delude myself into thinking she actually wanted me."

Blake stepped back at Jaune's tone. He wasn't just angry with her, he was angry with all of them. They all kept this secret from him and never told him.

"And you know what's worse? It wasn't the lies, wasn't the blatant disregard for my feelings, it was the fact that after all of it none of you said sorry. At least she had the decency to say it after tearing my heart to shreds." Jaune couldn't stay angry anymore, they weren't here to hear him curse at them so what was the point?

He fell into a comfortable silence sitting on the edge of the river, the flow of water crashing gently over rock was the only sound in the air. He felt a hand on his shoulder and Jaune smiled, of course he wouldn't hear her coming closer. He turned to look at Blake standing next to him and breathed a loud sigh.

"Come on Blake, let's get back to Beacon."

Blake looked at Jaune before a small smile broke out on her face and with a nod she started the journey back to the academy. Jaune watched her walk over the bridge before turning around and looking out into the forest behind him. 'It would be so easy to turn around and go back' the thought had been circling his head ever since he entered Vale, it wouldn't be so hard to just start walking again.

Jaune shook his head at the thought. It had been too long to hold a grudge, it was time to make a attempt at forgiveness. A decade is a long time to be gone. Jaune turned back to the bridge and broke out into a jog to catch up with the dark haired women in front of him.

It wasn't going to be easy to forgive them. But he had enough of being alone.

And it wouldn't be nice to keep her waiting. He had a promise to keep.

-x-

"Where are they? It's been 3 days since Blake messaged us that she found Jaune. It shouldn't take that long to get to Beacon, should it?"

To say the remaining members of Team RWBY were anxious would be an understatement. Ever since they had found out that Jaune wasn't dead but instead hunting in the fringes of the world, they had been hard at work locating and getting him back to them. A long month had passed until they heard word Jaune had crossed into Vale and then it had been a fortnight since they had sent Blake to make contact with him. And now they eagerly anticipated the arrival of their friend.

Ruby had been a nervous ball of energy ever since they got the message from Blake. She had been nervously cleaning ever surface in her home in hopes of preoccupying herself before his arrival. She had made claim that since she found out he was coming back than he would stay with her until they found a place for him. It was met with puzzled looks and unanswered questions from the rest of her team, Ruby explained that it was a step in getting her friend back.

Weiss had been anxious to see Jaune again. The last words she said to him were probably the harshest she has ever uttered. And ever since word of his return to Vale she had been silently wondering if he still hated her as much as he said he did when he left. She had been reeling after he left, blaming herself for his leaving after her harsh words. Knowing he was coming back was her chance to apologize after all this time.

In the whirlwind that was Ruby's preparations for Jaune's arrival nobody seemed to pay attention to what Yang was doing. Nobody had realized that she was quieter than normal. Ever since the news reached them Yang had first been as happy as the rest of her team, but that happiness changed into apprehension. Would he remember what he told her. What he promised her. She would of attempted to hide her mood if Blake had been there, her partner had a knack of knowing when she was melancholy and made it her job to raise her spirits, much like Yang would to anybody else.

During the years since Jaune left herself and the rest of Team RWBY had been hunting alongside what remained of Team JNPR. The missions they left on were always dangerous, there would be no point sending 5 huntresses and a hunter if it could be done by a two man team. But with the knowledge of each over that they had made these types of missions a breeze. And over the years working together they had formed a well oiled machine on missions.

It wasn't until after 3 years after Jaune left that Yang saw him again.

_7 Years Ago_

The region of Mistral had been blindsided by a torrent of Grimm attacks for nearly a year before it asked for help from the other regions. Yang found herself part of Vale's contingent of support. Her name had been chosen as well as many other hunters and huntresses but she knew none of them. Her team had fought tooth and nail to get her back but to no avail, and Yang was sent to defend Mistral.

Yang had arrived expecting to be part of a counter attack. She arrived to find herself locked in what appeared to be a siege. The Mistral defenders had been pushed back from the surrounding towns to the outer capital walls days before and were constantly pushing Grimm away from the gates. With that information stored away Yang was sent alongside others to find weaknesses in the tide of Grimm and attempt to push them out and back behind the walls.

The first few days were the hardest. Yang had never experienced a fight like this, being on constant alert for Grimm while escorting pockets of civilians back to the capital was a new experience, and one that she would like not to repeat. She expected small sporadic fights but was surprised with the near ever presence of Grimm at any turn waiting to take her life. It was a day to day struggle to get out of her bed in the morning. Each day brought news of more hunters going missing (presumed dead) and more ground being lost to the ever present tide of creatures outside the walls.

It wasn't until she had been there for a few months that she started hearing the stories. Soldiers and hunters alike told of themselves and civilians being saved by a man in shining armor carving through Grimm with a broadsword and kite shield. Yang found new resolve hearing of these tales of heroism and doubled her efforts to stay and help the defenders push the Grimm out.

After a number of hard weeks, the defenders managed to push the tide back to just outside the outer walls of the capital. Yang was tasked with finding a suitable location for a forward base for the next and hopefully last push.

Finding a location was easy enough, all she had to do was wait for her team to catch up and secure the location. Yang knew something was wrong when it became quiet. Everybody with a brain knew unnatural silence was not a sign of good things to come. And Yang was right. After waiting what felt like hours they came out of the woodwork. Like ants converging on a scrap of food the creatures of Grimm surrounded Yang cutting off any escape from the guaranteed slaughter that was about to take place. Yang was confident in her abilities to hold them off until her team got to her.

Those next few minutes became a blur of black fur and scorched earth. With each strike Yang could feel the endless energy she felt as a young women slowly drain from her until she stopped attacking and suddenly was put into a deadly game of block and dodge.

Yang never saw the Ursa that was going to strike her, but she knew it was there. Its roar was deafening as it reared back for the killing blow. Yang could swear she feel the claws as they approached. The blow never came, instead she heard the sound of a blade slicing through flesh and bone. She looked up to see what stopped the killing blow. And that's when she saw him.

Standing broadsword in hand was the man she had heard about. He stood tall, almost a whole head higher than her, strapped to his body was the dented and scratched armor she had heard all about. It did nothing to hide the muscle underneath which looked like it was cut from rock. His shoulder length blonde hair framed his head like a halo making him appear like a angel of death. She was so far in her daze she didn't sense the Beowulf coming from her right. As quick as he appeared the man blocked the blow with his sword before crashing the shield into the Beowulf neck, snapping the beasts vertebrae, killing it outright.

Her saviors voice snapped her out of her stupor "Get up Yang, We're heading back."

Yang's eyes widened at the familiar voice. She had thought he was dead. He had been gone for so long she almost didn't recognize his voice. It was deeper than when he was in Beacon. It seemed he looked nothing like the scraggly hunter she knew before, now he looked like the hero he wanted to be.

"Jaune wha...?"

"Not the time Yang. Let's get back first then ask all the questions you want." Jaune interrupted her as he lifted her onto her feet.

The trip back was as eventful as her rescue. With the advancing line of Grimm behind them the only option was to bring them along the main street which connected the main bases together. The road was the safest route back to her team.

It took them hours to make it back to main base. Her team had been cut off by the advancing Grimm that cornered Yang and had to retreat back to the safe zone a couple miles back, leaving Yang to fend for herself. She would have died if not for Jaune being there to protect her.

The first thing Yang did when they arrived back at the main base was hug him. Followed closely by a fist to the gut. Both Jaune took without complaint. It wasn't until they had both eaten that Yang started looking at Jaune.

He had been gone for so long she wouldn't of recognized him unless he spoke to her. His face was rougher than before, adorned with a bristly stubble on his jaw and chin. His hair had grown out past his shoulders and was flowing behind his ears. The only thing that resembled the old Jaune was his blue eyes. Those orbs still hadn't changed since she saw him last, they still resembled the old, bumbling Jaune she knew.

"I guess you have questions?" The silence was comfortable until he started talking. It was like she was expecting 17 year old Jaune to come out but was instead hit with adult Jaune and she didn't expect to like it so much.

Yang paused and thought about her answer before saying the words she wanted to say since seeing him again "We thought you were dead."

Yang could hear the loud sigh from Jaune and the creaking of armor plates brushing against each over as he tried to rid himself of the constricting armor.

"That was the plan." Came his reply

"What do you mean that was the plan? You wanted us all to think you were dead for what... so you could run off and play hero in the forest? Ozpin told us you were dead, he told us they found what remained of your body in forever fall. We had to have a funeral without a body Jaune, do you know what that did to us? Ruby and Weiss were miserable for weeks after your funeral, they couldn't sleep, refused to eat and when they were awake they would just work on schoolwork until they exhausted themselves and don't get me started on Pyrr..."

Jaune moved faster than she had seen before. He was in her face before she could continue her rant.

"Don't say that name to me. You want someone to blame for this? Blame yourself." Jaune growled at her

"Me? What did I do?" Yang cried

"You could of told me. You all knew. It could ended before it began but you didn't, you let me delude myself into thinking about a future with her."

"She told us she was going to tell you." Her reply was weak and Yang knew it.

"Well she didn't, and now look where I am. In the region she came from, defending her people while she and her precious husband laugh at their good fortune from the high walls of the keep." Yang could understand his anger, he had probably bottled it for so long that it would just keep coming until he broke. Yang heard sniffling and looked up to see Jaune looking at her with unshed tears in his eyes.

"We made a promise to each other after that second year when I nearly lost her. She knew what was going to happen after Beacon but she allowed me to think I had a chance. It was supposed to be me Yang. She was supposed to stay with me."

Yang could see him shake as he sat on her bed. Before she could make her way over she saw his shoulders shake and she knew he had finally let it go. Yang sat next to Jaune and tugged him into a gentle hug. She didn't know how long they sat like that until she heard his breathing even out. Yang smiled and gently laid him down on the bed before wrapping him in a blanket. She sat down in the chair opposite her bed and let her thoughts take her away and eventually fell asleep watching the sleeping knight.

It wasn't noise that woke Yang in the morning. It was smell. Opening her eyes she found herself lying on her bed wrapped in the blanket she gave to Jaune. His name brought her out of her stupor. She checked the room and couldn't see any sign of him ever being there. Jumping out of the bed she went to check the common room that connected all the rooms together and breathed a sigh of relief at what she saw.

Sitting facing her was Jaune. He looked up and smiled when he saw her, before turning his attention back to his weapon. He hadn't looked like he slept well for a while as she made the way over to him and sat opposite. Jaune looked up again and gestured to the plate and steaming cup on the table "I made too much food, you can have the rest. Coffee's fresh too."

Yang looked down at the plate of cooked meat and egg before eating faster than Ruby would a plate of cookies. Jaune watched with wide eyes as she inhaled the food he made and drink the coffee in one go.

"Don't they feed you Yang?" She could hear the smile in his question.

"I haven't had a good bit of meat in a long time." She replied with a wink

The face splitting grin and loud laughter from Jaune eased her nerves. It almost felt like being back at school with the way he was laughing at her innuendo's. His laugh died down and the comfortable silence enveloped them.

"About last night." Jaune broke the silence "I'm sorry for blaming you for what she did. You didn't deserve..."

"Don't apologize Jaune. You were angry and I guess I didn't help with my attitude either." Yang interrupted sternly, reaching out for his worn hands she cupped them in her own and kept speaking "We didn't look out for you when you needed us and for that I'm sorry. But look at it this way, we are here now, fighting together after nearly 3 years of not seeing each other. The way I see it you don't have to be alone when I'm here. So what do you say? Partner?"

Yang felt his other hand encase her smaller ones and give a firm squeeze "Sure thing, partner."

The counter attack in the region of Mistral took longer than everybody expected. The defenders retook and lost ground for almost 3 years before the defenders managed to push the creatures of Grimm out of the capital.

During those 3 years of give and take, stories of the 'Shining Knight' and 'The Blonde Brawler' had run rampant though the defenders. Stories that would light the fire under them and help push them through the thickest of the fighting. Each person taking strength from the brave duo that would often lead charges into the torrent of black. During the lull in fighting, together they would walk through the camps of wounded men and women and answer questions and give encouraging words to those who asked for it. Many a time they would be told how wonderful a couple they make, which would make the duo laugh gently and deny whatever connection they would assume.

It's not to say that being with Jaune was funny. Quite the contrary Yang felt that it would be easy for people to interoperate the way she would look at him when he wasn't looking. She would get wry smiles from the women in camp when they would catch her looking for too long and get winks from the other men when they caught her as well. Yang would tell herself it wasn't a crime to watch him. Even if he was washing that one time and nearly got caught. She knew he wouldn't see her that way, after all he was still reeling from what happened with Pyrrah and he didn't need to be dealing with Yang and her developing feelings for him.

When Mistral was officially declared clear of Grimm everything seemed to get a bit easier to deal with. Each day was spent escorting the civilians back to the homes they had to abandon during the siege. And each night was spent planning what to do for the next day, be it more relocation or rebuilding. It was a couple weeks before word got to Yang that she was being taken back to Vale with the remaining hunters that came with her in a day's time. And when she told Jaune he nodded and gave her a pat on the shoulder and left.

She found him later on sitting in what used to be a bakery. The crumbled walls had fallen inwards giving him a pile of brick to perch himself on. He looked up and smiled when he saw her and rested on his back looking up at the oranges and yellows that made up that day's sunset. He patted the spot next to him with his gloved hand and waited until she sat next to him.

They lay there for a while before Jaune started talking "What time does the transport arrive?" His question seemed void of emotion, she could hear the real question in his eyes 'How long until I'm alone'.

"Tomorrow morning, around 8." Yang looked at him "I can stay if you want me to."

Her request was more of a plead, she couldn't go back knowing he was alive without bringing him back with her. He needed to come home.

"No, you need to go back to them. I will always have these memories to keep me company." Jaune paused "Unfortunately I got word from Ozpin that I was to go west and find the town of Gershek. They need a hunter there for a while."

Yang was upset at the news. She had found him alive and well and now he was leaving again for who knows how long. The feeling of dread wormed its way inside her and all the same questions that had been plaguing her mind since she was told she was leaving tormented her.

Jaune sat up and looked at Yang. He could see the streaks the tears left behind on her cheeks and the now noticeable shake of silent crying. He put both his hands on her shoulders and put her head in the crook of his neck, gently holding her as she cried on his shoulder. They sat there until the sky shifted from orange to dark purple. The once warm air changed to a gentle cold breeze as they sat on the remnants of a person's likelihood. Jaune noticed Yang's sobs had died and she was just resting on his shoulder.

Yang reveled in his warmth for as long as she could. She tried to inhale as much of his earthly scent as possible, if she was leaving she would want something to remember of this time. Yang moved her head to look up at the sky and its broken moon. She felt much like the moon at the moment, pieces of her were going to be there but she couldn't keep them anymore. This time with Jaune was probably going to only happen once and she would be damned if she didn't do the one thing she wanted to do.

With as much conviction as she could muster she sat up and looked into those deep blue eyes that steal even the tiniest of breaths from her. Placing her hand on the back of his neck she gently pressed her lips to his. She felt the gentle warmth from his lips flood through her as she broke the kiss and smiled at his wide eyed expression.

Yang stood up and brushed the dust and rock off her before walking back to base camp ignoring the calls from behind her. If she looked back she wouldn't want to leave.

The next morning was as normal as possible for Yang. She was leaving a person she thought was dead in the midst of what was presumably a confusing moment last night. But she didn't care, she needed to see if it would change anything and after she had done it she felt no different. But now she felt a stabbing pain in her chest at the thought of leaving. It was futile to think he would come back with her. Yang berated herself for thinking kissing Jaune changed anything, he wasn't going to renounce his feelings of Pyrrah and shift them onto her. In the light of morning all she had done was make things awkward for when and if he did return.

As she sat amongst the hunters from Vale she remembered all the stories she had heard of the two of them together on the battlefield. The two of them taking on 2 Major Ursa's each when in reality it was only one each. Tales of the two of them landing in a explosion of aura and fire as they fought against the tide of Grimm. The tales brought a smile to herself, they made the two of them sound like gods sent from the sky to save them. Which looking back now was a extreme ego boost to somebody like herself.

Then she remembered what they were. They were stories. Fabrications made by a person's imagination, never in real life would they be together, it was just a story.

At first she didn't notice someone calling her name over the whir of the airship that was landing until she was nudged on the shoulder by the man next to her. She turned to find him standing there. Jaune stood armor less but in his right hand he carried the shoulder high shield he took into battle. She slowly turned as he walked towards her with conviction. He looked angry with other emotions swirling around him.

Jaune stopped dead in front of her and took his shield of his right arm and laid it on the ground at her feet.

Yang looked down at the shield than back up at Jaune and saw the whirlwind of emotion in his eyes.

"Jaune what are you..."

She was cut off by Jaune's lips on hers. Her resolve crumbled and with her free hand pulled his head closer to hers. His hands trailed her shoulder and waist as he held her close. Lack of oxygen ended the moment for them.

Yang was still reeling from the magnitude of the moment and nearly forgot where she was until she felt something heavy in her right hand. Looking down she saw Jaunes shield strapped to her forearm, much like how Jaune wore it. She looked back at him and saw the hard look in his eyes.

"A knight is nothing without his shield, so when I come back to you I want it back." Yang was about to speak when Jaune shushed her and continued "This is my promise. I will come back and when I do we are going to see where this takes us. You mean too much to so many and I can't take you from them. So I promise you Yang Xiao Long I am coming back." With the end of his sentence he kissed her hard of the lips one last time before gently leading her to the airship.

The last she saw of him was his lone solitary figure watching the craft fly away before turning on his heel and walking back to the command tent.

_Present Time_

"Yang!" Ruby's voice boomed from behind the blonde. Thrust from her head she turned to her little sister and growled a low 'what' before waiting for the reason she was interrupted. Her sister smiled at her and explained that Blake was only half an hour away from arriving with Jaune. At the mention of Jaune she scrambled up on her feet from the sitting position she was in and rushed toward the bathroom spouting off needing a 'shower'.

Ruby's brow furrowed and with a questioning look at Weiss who shrugged wondered why her sister was acting weird. It wasn't normal for her to act like this. Usually she would be her old self, but sometimes there would be times when she would go quiet and zone out for long periods of time. Whenever she confronted her older sister Yang would just say remembering a friend from her time in Mistral and smile to herself. Ruby didn't like that Yang had experienced what happened in Mistral but as Yang repeatedly told her she was never alone.

Yang entered the shower and turned the water to the coldest setting to clear her mind. She had been zoning out more since learning of Jaune's coming back. Just the image of his face made her remember his words to her that day and the feel of his kiss.

On hearing the sounds of the shower turn on Ruby began to relax and sat down on the sofa against the wall which looked straight at the door. Ruby was anxious which made time go so much slower to the scythe wielder.

The click of the doorknob turning caught her attention and with as much grace she could muster Ruby launched herself at the door and nearly tore it off its hinges with the amount of force she put into it. What she saw made her stop and stare

Standing in front of her like a wall of lean hard muscle, adorned with battered white armor and carrying a broadsword on his back stood Jaune Arc.

With a loud squeal she launched herself at her first friend with all the force in her body. She didn't realize she was crying until she felt his thumbs wipe away the tears from her cheeks. When she looked up at him he was smiling.

"That's a nice way to be welcomed back. I didn't get a hug from Blake." Her beaming smile and laugh were interrupted when she started crying again in front of him. She felt his arms reach around her and hug her. How she had missed this. A warm hug from a friend.

Weiss patiently waited behind her leader as she detangled herself from Jaune.

"Ruby let him get in before you assault him." Jaune's laugh resonated through the room and it made Weiss nostalgic of the times when she could hear his laugh from her room across the hall at Beacon. Weiss looked at the man in front of her and smiled to herself. He looked okay, nothing looked missing and that was the important thing.

"I missed you too Snow Angel." Jaune was rewarded with a punch in the shoulder and then pulled into a firm hug. He could feel her smile against his chest as he held Weiss close. Pulling back he saw the unshed tears in her eyes and smiled down at her.

"Hey now, no tears from you. That isn't how an heiress acts." His joke made her smile. Wiping the tears from her eyes Weiss pulled him into another hug.

"Don't leave us again you dolt."

Jaune smiled down at her as she pulled away from the hug. It was then he noticed that Yang wasn't in the room with them, his smile dropped a little.

"Where's Yang?" His question and look was directed at Ruby.

Before she could utter her answer, Yang's voice rung out in the silence.

"You came back." Jaune looked up and saw her again.

Standing in the doorway to the hall stood Yang. Hair still wet from her shower, dressed in a baggy shirt and trousers. In his head he imagined this going differently, namely just the two of them, a empty house and a whole day to themselves. But this would have to do.

He stood watching her before a broad smile broke out across his face. He watched her as she slowly walked up to him before stopping just in front of him. Looking dead into his eyes she waited for him to talk.

"Of course, I still need my shield don't I?"

His question made Yang beam at him and jump into his arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck she captured his lips in a searing kiss. Yang felt his hands at her back and wrap her legs around his waist. Yang felt breathless as his lips slanted over hers with more passion than their last kiss ever held. Yang pulled back and looked at Jaunes face. He broke out into a small smile that was just for her.

"I missed you so much." His words made her smile back at him and gently peck him again before resting her head on his shoulder.

It wasn't until she heard a throat clearing that she was brought out of her Jaune high and sent crashing back down.

The looks of her teammates were a mixed bag to say the least.

Blake had a small smile on her face, her face clearly confused but willing to wait for the answers to her questions. Ruby and Weiss had the same reaction. Open mouthed, wide eyed confusion. It stayed this way until they heard the both of them shouting over each other for the duo's attention.

Yang hid her face in Jaunes shoulder again. This was going to take some explaining.

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**A.N: Now I know I have left some questions unanswered in this chapter, but don't form a mob just yet.**

**They will probably be answered in the next chapter.**

**My plan is for this to be 3 chapters long, depending on the reaction it gets (That isn't me telling you to review. I will probably continue it anyway)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N: Alright, first I want to say a big sorry for making you wait so long for this next chapter. **

**Enjoy. **

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Sleep hadn't come easy that night for Jaune. Usually he was sleeping up in the treetops or on the bumpy, uneven ground. It had been a while since he slept on a bed, an even longer while since he felt comfortable.

To say he was exhausted would be an understatement. He was running on empty. The day had been filled with unanswered questions and confused looks. Jaune wanted at least one day to be relatively normal before he relived one of his worst moments. He had asked them to not ask questions until tomorrow. He wanted to attempt to have a dreamless sleep his first night back.

It wasn't to be. Jaune had barely closed his eyes for a minute before the dreams started again. He would see the villages he was unable to save burn to the ground. He would see the faces of those no longer alive in this world. He had seen too much death to have a peaceful night's sleep.

Realizing that he wouldn't be getting to sleep that night Jaune crept out of the spare bedroom, looking for a quiet spot to ease his weary mind.

He found himself outside on the porch under the moonlight. Ever since Mistral he loved the moon and the memory attached to it. Yang's kiss in the moonlight was the only happy memory he had for a long time, he hadn't had much else to be happy about.

The little wooden bench was comfortable. Large enough to fit multiple people, it made a nice spot to sit and watch the stars shine down at him.

He felt a light nudge at his shoulder and jerked around to find out who crept up on him. He saw Ruby's smiling face and eased himself back into his sitting position. She sat down next to him and placed down 2 cups of steaming liquid on the table in front of them. Jaune reached forward and slowly drank the hot liquid and smiled into his cup.

"You always knew how I liked my coffee."

He heard her light giggle and sat the cup back down on the table. Jaune turned to look at Ruby and noticed her smile replaced with a look of worry. She looked like she was psyching herself up to ask him a question.

Jaune waited until her heard her ask "Why Jaune?"

He paused. He wanted to get mad at her, like he did Blake. But when she sounded so small and childlike he couldn't find it in him to get mad. She almost sounded like a mourning child, asking why their mummy wasn't coming back.

"You know why." He internally cringed at his answer. He hadn't meant for it come out so blunt but he couldn't help it. She knew why he left, they all did.

Jaune heard the loud sigh from the woman next to him. He hated what this was doing to Ruby. She was barely 20 when he left, her first friend at Beacon gone in the middle of the night. He never really considered the effects his leaving would have on her.

"We should have told you. I should have told you. I thought she was going to tell you, she promised us she would. Then on the final year you found out and then everything went to crap. Then the next morning you were gone." He could hear her losing her composure after every sentence. Jaune looked down at his feet. He couldn't handle this.

"I was devastated when they told us they found your body. I couldn't handle it. I barely ate, I couldn't sleep. Yang had to bathe me herself for weeks because of the state is was in."

Ruby wiped away the tears falling from her eyes, taking in calming breaths to ease her away from breaking down

"I was so mad. Mad at myself, mad at you, mad at everything. If we had just told you in the beginning then you would of still been there cracking stupid jokes and looking out for us."

Jaune laughed lightly before looking at the smaller woman next to him "I'm sorry Ruby."

"No. You don't apologize, not after what happened. You say those words to me again and I'll smack you."

Ruby smirked at him and he relaxed again. He missed this. He would always like talking with Ruby, she had the innate ability to make him happy whenever he was feeling down. Jaune scratched the back of his neck and sat back in the bench looking up at the sky.

"It's a nice night."

"Yeah, it is." He smiled at her response.

Jaune sat there for a while. The gentle twinkle of the stars and the presence of the moon calmed his nerves and put him at ease. He didn't know how long he had been sitting there watching the sky, mesmerized by the many small dots looking back down at him.

"Jaune?" Ruby's voice broke his transfixion of the night's sky.

"Yeah." He was hesitant, he could tell she was going to ask something that he wouldn't want to answer.

"What was Mistral like?"

Jaune looked at the woman next to him. Her face was curious but hesitant. She looked like she just told him she killed a puppy. He was hesitant to tell her anything about his time at Mistral and the years that followed.

"Mistral was hell. There is no other way to describe it. They only tell you about the heroic defense and eventual counter attack. What they don't tell you is what the first year was like. That first year was the worst. It was like being shrouded by a permanent blackness, with no possibility of living. We lost so much during that first year. Fighting was at its heaviest. You couldn't look anywhere without seeing blood. There was so much blood, it would get into the crevices in your armor and stain you permanently, no amount of cleaning could wash it away."

Jaune paused, he hated remembering Mistral. He could still see the lifeless faces of those lost souls whenever he closed his eyes.

"Your sister arrived in the second year. By then fighting was sporadic at the best of times. We still lost people but not to the extent we were used to. I saved your sister in Mistral. If I hadn't shown up she would have died. The counter attack was brutal. We would go days without eating and we would sleep for however long we could until we had to move again. Be thankful you never had to experience that Ruby, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemies."

Jaune stopped speaking. He let his words stew inside his head for a while. He didn't talk about Mistral to anybody. The only person he would consider it with would be Yang, she would know how to get him out of his head.

Ruby sat there silent. Whenever she asked Yang about her time in Mistral her sister would avoid the question and sometimes ignore it completely. The only information she had to go by was the books that published a couple years ago about the Defense of Mistral. But hearing it from Jaune was daunting, the book never mentioned it in such detail. It was more broad and vague, the only thing that was specific was the first hand accounts that were released with the book. But those didn't prepare her for what Jaune told her.

"Why did you want to know Ruby?" Jaune's voice rung out, breaking Ruby from her thoughts.

"It's just Yang hasn't talked about it much. When she got back she was distant and she would zone out for stretches of time. When we asked her about it she would just get this glazed look and we'd lose her for a minute. Over the years she started to open up. She told us small details at a time. And that shield she came back with, when we started going hunting again she started to carry it on her back whenever she left the house." The last sentence made Jaune smile.

"It's your shield isn't it?" Ruby saw Jaune nod his head at her question.

"I gave it to her before she left Mistral. I told her I would come back for it, I made her a promise to come back. Unlike some I keep my promises."

Ruby saw the far off look in his eyes. She knew where his head was, she just hoped he would be able to get past it eventually.

They sat there in silence for hours, silently basking in the light chill of the air and watching as the moon made way for the sun. They watched the sun peek out from under the horizon and spread its wings, illuminating the world below it with its gentle rays.

Jaune yawned loudly, stretching his limbs in front of him he stood. Looking down he saw Ruby groggily walk toward the front door. She turned around and murmured a 'sleep time' before walking towards her room. Jaune couldn't help but agree with her and made his way to the spare bedroom.

Lying back on the mattress he saw the sun's rays peeking through the curtains in the room. He lasted 5 minutes before sleep took a hold of him.

He didn't dream that night.

* * *

When Yang woke up the day after Jaune's return her mood reflected the weather, miserable. She was more than happy to see him again, but the day was going to be a hard one. She wasn't looking forward to the questions her team were going to ask, she had tried her hardest to forget about Mistral, and now she was going to have to relive it.

Her morning went like normal. She would shower, then grab breakfast before making her way to her sister's home across the city. If it wasn't for the presence of a certain blonde knight Yang wouldn't of ventured out into the torrential downpour that had blanketed Vale in minutes. As she walked the streets Yang watched the cities inhabitants go about their days as if nothing was different, and to them nothing was. Today was just like any other, albeit a tad wet. But to Yang it was the day when she would have to remember her time in a warzone, if Jaune wasn't there she would happily live without telling a soul.

When she had arrived at Ruby's she could hear the tell tale signs of conversation in the living room. Opening the door Yang could see Weiss and Ruby sitting down on her sofa, each quietly conversing with the other.

Upon hearing the door open Ruby turned to see Yang enter and leapt to her feet before tugging her sister into a firm hug. Yang smiled as her sister's arms wrapped around her, she returned the hug and started laughing when Ruby tried to get out of her sisters tight hold.

"Where's Blake?" Yang looked at the white haired women on the sofa for the answer.

"She's running a bit late, something about the rain." Weiss's response was met with a grumble from Ruby in confirmation.

Yang looked around the room for any signs of Jaune. She couldn't see him but his sword lay on the table in front of Weiss. It looked almost as new as when she saw it last. Letting go of her sister Yang slowly walked up to the table holding Jaune's sword and picked it up.

He made it look much easier, the blade was heavy, almost too heavy for her to pick up single-handedly. Yang gently put the blade back down before making her way over to the armchair opposite the table.

The room seemed to get quieter when she sat down. Looking at her sister and her partner Yang noticed they were both looking at her with mixed expressions. Her brow creased as they watched her, the silence was deafening and the tension was almost unbearable before Ruby started talking.

"Today's not going to be easy is it?"

Yang bristled at the question. She could feel the familiar sense of foreboding creeping its way up her gut.

"No it isn't." Yang's voice was hoarse, her throat felt dry and her hands were getting clammy.

She could feel her stomach constricting and churning. Yang knew it was going to be bad today. If she could keep it together then she could let Jaune do most of the talking. They fell back into a silence until Yang heard a noise down the hall, the tell-tale sound of a door opening and closing. She could hear the heavy thump of feet against the wooden floor going down the hallway and another door closing before she released the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Guess that mean's Jaune's finished in the bathroom."

Ruby's attempt at lightening the mood was met with a stony silence and the room was once again quiet. Yang felt the sense of foreboding return as soon as her sister stopped talking and before she could utter out a sentence she stood and practically ran down the hall, ignoring the cry from Ruby she made her way to the door to the spare room and opened it.

Yang's breath caught in her throat at the sight of his bare back, the last time she saw his naked chest was almost 5 years ago and he looked like he put on more muscle. She noticed a set of claw marks that reached over his shoulder and down his back almost to his hip. She watched as he turned around and looked at her. His gaze met hers and she could see the uncertainty in his eyes. His chest had more marks. The raised flesh from a burn and the faint lines of claw marks racked across his abdominals. He looked like he had been through hell and she knew that he had, she had been there too, he had been there longer.

"Yang? You okay?"

His voice cut through her and before he could react she wrapped her arms around his neck and held him close before quietly sobbing into his chest. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and pull her closer to him. They stood like that for a while until Yang's sobs turned into light sniffs and the tears had drained her.

"Take a deep breath. You knew this day was coming, but think about it this way, you have me here to ease the burden. You aren't alone with this okay?"

Yang nodded into his chest and pulled away and looked up at him. His gentle smile eased her mind and she attempted a smile back. Yang felt the kiss on her forehead before she unwrapped herself off him before sitting on his bed and watched him get dressed.

She sat there until she felt his warm hand on her shoulder.

"You ready?"

* * *

**A.N: So what did you think?**

**I had a bit of difficulty with this chapter, I wanted to make it a whole lot longer but I found myself waffling on and on just for the sake of it. I was going to add more but I found that I ended it at the right time.**

**Hopefully the next chapter will take a couple of days, I have already started it.**

**And I'm sorry if I hadn't answered some of the questions yet, the time is coming.**


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